EMCSG Slideshow with Ed Betteridge

by Carl Sharp

The recent trip to Nottingham’s Underwood Miners Club to see Greys Carp Academy member, Ed Betteridge give his very first public slideshow and talk, at the January 14 2011 East Midlands Carp Study Group (EMCSG) meeting, was a very inspiring and entertaining night indeed.

Ed with Poolies - One of his target fish

On arrival there was a chance to take a look at and also purchase some of the marvellous gear from Custom Angling Solutions, showing off an array of stainless banksticks, buzzbars with nifty little spirit levels built into them (for those tarts amongst us!) and also some very well made leads in all shapes and sizes (UKCA review of the CAS leads can be found HERE).

Once the slide show got underway, we were all soon whisked upon a journey through Ed’s recent adventures on the Oxfordshire pits of the Linch Hill Complex, in which Ed recalled the highs and lows of targeting the big mirror known as ‘Chocco’. The tale was a rather special one, and a style of fishing that involved a row boat to bait up and check areas (although not to place hook baits) that many of us don’t have the chance or access to. With the effort and amount of miles that Ed put in to capture these fish was amazing, considering that he was juggling working a full time job along with the numerous trips from Derby to Oxfordshire to put time in on the bank after these fish. You hear the phrase "effort equals reward" a lot, and the amount of effort Ed put in to the campaign showed that he fully deserved these fish.

The slides shown were filled with big commons, and big plated mirrors, many over the magical 30lb mark, and some even tipping the elusive 40lb barrier that left us all feeling the triumphs and tribulations involved in such a feat.

The 90 minute talk was finally wrapped up with the account of Ed’s battle and netting of the star prize, ‘Chocco’, with the pictures showing us in all its glory.

With Ed’s tale over we were then faced with the raffle, including some wonderful prizes, the star prize being a week in France for the lucky ticket!